Sunday 3rd Nov 24

[ptolemyx]

Profuse apologies to all.

My first rule of ride outs is you don't abandon anyone.

For whatever reason I abandoned my usual policy to keep the group together. If we spread out I normally stop every now and then to let the group regather.
When I upped the pace from "moderate" to "making good progress" after the Torrington stop I should have stopped to get us all back together sooner. When I did stop there were only two others with me, we waited for the best part of a quarter hour. Then a message came through that Rik had a radiator leak and Duncan would escort him home, also that the others were making their own way. I thought that meant they were not continuing the planned route and probably the South Devon guys were making their way home. I decided to press on with just the three of us. I should have turned back to check. It seems there was another breakdown?

Despite that I hope everyone had a good ride and that everyone got home okay.

[jimboraver]

Good ride out shame about rik and gareths breakdowns glad everyone got back OK
Even i made iit on my metzeller slicks
New tyres this week !

[billinom8s]

Good ride out shame about rik and gareths breakdowns glad everyone got back OK
Even i made iit on my metzeller slicks
New tyres this week !

have you still not changed those????!!!!!

[billinom8s]

Profuse apologies to all.

My first rule of ride outs is you don't abandon anyone.

For whatever reason I abandoned my usual policy to keep the group together. If we spread out I normally stop every now and then to let the group regather.
When I upped the pace from "moderate" to "making good progress" after the Torrington stop I should have stopped to get us all back together sooner. When I did stop there were only two others with me, we waited for the best part of a quarter hour. Then a message came through that Rik had a radiator leak and Duncan would escort him home, also that the others were making their own way. I thought that meant they were not continuing the planned route and probably the South Devon guys were making their way home. I decided to press on with just the three of us. I should have turned back to check. It seems there was another breakdown?

Despite that I hope everyone had a good ride and that everyone got home okay.

it's that old thing (not you Brian) about using mirrors. if the bike behind you vanishes, slow down, if it's still not there, stop. just requires ALL riders to use their mirrors on a regular basis (robbo). that way the group remain relatively close and at least connectedd in case something happens.

Fair play for owning up Brian. Drinks on you at the meal then.

[jimboraver]

Haha yeah I replaced those ones , but have worn out another set

[billinom8s]

Down the middle?

[jimboraver]

Pretty much all over this time apart from the chicken strips which were slick anyway to be fair

[Scotty]

it's that old thing (not you Brian) about using mirrors. if the bike behind you vanishes, slow down, if it's still not there, stop. just requires ALL riders to use their mirrors on a regular basis (robbo). that way the group remain relatively close and at least connectedd in case something happens.

Fair play for owning up Brian. Drinks on you at the meal then.

Do y'all use the 2nd rider drop-off system to mark junctions? Many of us do use it and if done properly it's fine, though can fall down if people marking don't deploy common sense; things like stopping in a visible but safe position at a junction. I've encountered people who are dead against it as a ride-out system, claiming that the group gets broken up, whereas they like everyone to be riding like a bunch of fledglings doing their CBT in a tight gaggle. I tried conforming to keep the peace and stuck it out as long as necessary to arrive at an unfamiliar destination but was able to make my own way back. Painfully slow, like stopping at a big roundabout on an A road and staying there until the entire group had reassembled - took several minutes, instead of using the 2nd rider (me) to mark the exit of the roundabout and making better progress.